tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56829612024-02-07T17:34:15.426-08:00.“Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.comBlogger246125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-14897641474678682322014-04-18T06:09:00.002-07:002014-04-18T06:09:42.485-07:00From Noon to ThreeToday is Good Friday on the Western Christian calendar. Our Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters will celebrate the same in a few days.
After the show trials before religious and secular authorities, the beatings by soldiers who will gamble for his garment and the ravings of a rent-a-crowd, Jesus of Nazareth in crucified between two criminals on a small hill outside the walls of Jerusalem.
“Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-19934053014617905502014-03-13T06:17:00.000-07:002014-03-13T06:17:02.498-07:00It's ComplicatedThe Ukraine and Russian imperial aims.
Syria: who are the "good" and "bad" guys?
Israel and a two-state solution: Is "recognition" of Israel necessary?
Immigration: cheap labor or cheap votes?
Welfare and food stamps: who "deserves" help?
"Affordable" Health Care: someone pays.
Immigration: How do we remain hospitable and make citizenship and the rule of law meaningful?
What moral values will we “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-55456260439324027962014-02-24T06:40:00.001-08:002014-02-24T06:40:19.786-08:00One Moment Changes the WorldOne moment can change the world. Billions of human decisions are made every day across the globe. On the surface, most are innocuous or mundane, from changing a diaper to going to work. Sometimes they are history-altering, such as protests in the Ukraine or stock market crashes or rallies.
Sometimes unforeseen changes begins with a simple decision. St. Francis begins to rebuild an church one “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-17162390787953444172014-01-07T10:04:00.000-08:002014-01-07T10:04:02.412-08:00Flip the Switch: Transforming Today2014 begins with freezing temperatures across the USA, destabilizing governments in the Middle East, mixed economic news, a gridlocked federal government, and the normal hostility of elites toward any semblance of morality and common sense. In other words, just another day in our beautiful and broken world.
Globally and nationally the cry of the populace is simple, "We need jobs!" The “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-41679175830608724182013-11-25T21:19:00.000-08:002013-11-25T21:19:36.656-08:00Thanksgiving PeaceThanksgiving feasts are as old as humankind's agricultural bounty. They are found in every culture. Gratitude for another yeast's food engenders humility before the Almighty and compassion for the less fortunate. The 1621 Pilgrim feast is regarded as the first Thanksgiving Day in American history, though Floridians in St Augustine (founded in the 1560s) and Virginians in Jamestown (1609) claim “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-45421492776380429262013-11-07T18:14:00.000-08:002013-11-07T18:14:29.365-08:00Thank You, Rev. Graham.Tonight I watched the final public message of Evangelist Billy Graham. It was powerful and profound in its simplicity, weaving film clips of his 60+ years of global ministry with contemporary testimonies and his current call to follow Christ.
Tears are flowing as I write this tribute. Tears of joy for the message of the Cross that once again comes alive: Jesus Christ died for our sins, sorrows “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-67086214813478243182013-09-30T09:19:00.000-07:002013-09-30T09:19:19.890-07:00Awakening DignitySolving our intractable domestic and foreign policy crises will require much more that political compromise and diplomatic maneuvering. Our overextended federal systems and diminished influence abroad are signals of deeper issues. Conservatives press for reduced government and increased personal responsibility. Liberal/Progressive voices argue for better distribution of wealth that creates “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-75041491440285161302013-09-25T14:56:00.000-07:002013-09-25T14:56:26.668-07:00Surreal SubversionAmerican and Western European histories are filled with moral and social conflict and political battles. For the past three centuries, the trajectory toward human liberty and economic opportunity has been positive, with serious battles against totalitarianism in the 19th and 20th centuries. Coalitions of Center, Left and Right in Europe and lots of "horse-trading" in the USA have ensured relative“Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-33592068827771292042013-09-04T09:03:00.000-07:002013-09-04T09:03:08.106-07:00Truth is the Only Path to PeaceThe "Arab Spring" has devolved into the Jihadi Winter. The Cairo 2009 strategy of "leading from behind" and "outreach" to radical Islamic regimes is bearing bitter fruit and global contempt for the USA. "Negotiations" between the Palestinians are interrupted by terrorist attacks on Israelis, continued calls for violence and a refusal of the Palestinian Authority to recognize Israel's right to “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-44452502470723875352013-08-12T14:10:00.000-07:002013-08-12T14:10:58.646-07:00A Great Reversal is PossibleEndless federal deficits. Porous borders and immigration chaos. Selective enforcement of oversight laws and regulations in the EPA and IRS. Health care for all that includes 2400+ exemptions, including government employees. A foreign policy without direction. Serious scandals dismissed as phony and a media that is rarely investigating those currently in power.
These and other problems are not “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-54147303842091063732013-06-26T23:06:00.001-07:002013-06-26T23:07:45.567-07:00Eros is not a Civil RightToday the Supreme Court repudiated the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) signed by President Clinton in 1996. This ruling means that gay and lesbian marriages from states permitting such unions must be recognized by federal agencies. The decision appears to keep in place the Constitutional decisions of 30 states to define marriage as a monogamous heterosexual union and the 12 states that “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-74853963380639117352013-05-13T05:13:00.000-07:002013-05-13T05:13:15.083-07:00The Truth Sets Free"The truth shall set you free." This famous line has an important context. Jesus of Nazareth declared this at the end of an insightful description of his true followers: "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. THEN...you will know the truth..."
Truth is liberating for all that decide character and integrity must trump expedience and power. Admitting our personal failures and “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-81453521814271573182013-04-07T00:08:00.002-07:002013-04-07T00:08:31.052-07:00A Time for AffirmationsOur world is drowning in the quicksand of polemics, negativity and perverted reasoning. Sometimes I wonder if I am in a bad dream or B-grade movie where the universe is sideways. Everything is inverted. Sound fiscal policies mean starving children. Calling for good work ethics is "code" for racism. Supporting traditional marriage is intolerance. Affirming limited government and sound immigration “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-24757181214422054952013-03-15T17:07:00.000-07:002013-03-15T17:07:35.021-07:00ObservationsObservations on a Friday:
The human condition is summed up well by watching preschool children play. One minute they are hugging, laughing and sharing...the next they are crying, pushing and refusing to share.
Federal government leaders are like dieters confronting a box of doughnuts. They know they should walk away after eating one and sharing the box, but they end up eating all of them. “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-2514448988122630462013-03-11T21:30:00.001-07:002013-03-11T21:30:23.415-07:00Deficits and SurplusesIt is difficult enduring the childish squabbling and crush-the-opponent-at-all-costs strategies emanating from Washington, D.C. and so many devastated cities. While politicians collect their pensions and salaries, and a few favorites (like General Motors!) store billions in cash overseas, most of the nation awaits leadership that is honest and wise, with the good of all Americans in mind, not “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-71463621385575040272013-02-19T06:23:00.000-08:002013-02-19T06:23:03.031-08:00Maturity, PleaseOur current pop culture encourages permanent adolescence as prurient passions rule over consideration of others and thoughtful actions and words. Children are maturing physically sooner, yet staying immature longer, with many psychosocial experts affirming that the brain - especially of males - only reaches adulthood in the mid-20s. I only wish most in their 20s were adults!
This issue is not “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-87232113264241305582013-02-18T07:23:00.000-08:002013-02-18T07:23:33.830-08:00Presidential LegaciesTime is kind and unkind to the legacies of American Presidents. Washington and Lincoln will forever tower above all the rest. Washington truly is the Father of our Country, embodying all the aspirations and virtues of a new nation. Lincoln was the liberator of millions and the Preserver of the Union.
Other Presidents of good repute find that time allows for criticism and moderating of enthusiasm“Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-23753727482687689542013-01-21T20:30:00.001-08:002013-01-21T20:30:25.397-08:00Humility, PleaseAs President Obama begins his second term, we celebrate the peaceful transitions of power that make the USA the most stable expression of representative government in history. Even in our most contested elections, no militias have seized power and no parties have outlawed dissent and no dictators have risen to eradicate our experiment in self-governance and shared power.
Today is also the “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-44051568409151848362013-01-05T19:04:00.000-08:002013-01-05T19:04:01.633-08:00A New Day of IntegrationWhile Washington dithers and much of the world wanders, we can decide that 2013 will be a fruitful and meaningful year for ourselves, our families, our communities and - by extension - even our state and nation.
My new book is now out and it contains insights that help thoughtful women and men integrate faith, work and economics into their personal and spiritual growth and help local churches “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-16434854567398970882012-12-06T18:22:00.000-08:002012-12-06T18:22:33.226-08:00Israel: A Gift to the WorldA traveler from outer space visiting the newsrooms of The EU, UN and USA the past few years might conclude that Israel is the world's greatest threat to human rights and world peace. Visits to most public college campuses would confirm that this little land is a center of fascism and racism, determined to exterminate impoverished Palestinians. As our extraterrestrial explorer tunes in to “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-43008599816728848682012-11-05T11:00:00.000-08:002012-11-05T11:02:39.670-08:00The Road AheadOur next Administration faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Reversing more than half a century of ballooning indebtedness and bloated bureaucracy will be daunting. Transforming health care and retirement plans so they are stable and sustainable will require courage and sacrifice heretofore unknown among politicians. Restoring our global influence and leading the resistance to “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-40213332074847242512012-11-01T11:20:00.000-07:002012-11-01T11:20:13.219-07:00The Morning After: November 7 and January 21"There's got to be a morning after; if we can hold on through the night. We have a chance to find the sunlight; let's keep on looking for the light..."
These words from the theme song to the "Poseidon Adventure" speak to the hearts of millions of Americans as we prepare to vote and live with the consequences. (The song was the best part of an otherwise campy disaster movie!)
We will once again “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-89329574611764985432012-10-25T11:13:00.000-07:002012-10-25T11:13:49.185-07:00Ready to Vote?In twelve days, Americans go to the voting booths. We will participate in both continuity an change as we cast our ballots. Some officials will be re-elected; others will find new work. Some ordinances and propositions will become law; others will await the next cycle or become a memory. It is good for us to pause in our celebration and recognize that the American Experiment is both exceptional “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-91194572632818456172012-10-08T15:08:00.000-07:002012-10-08T15:08:35.540-07:00The Power of Our ChoicesWith less than one month of electioneering remaining, the battles intensify as all the candidates at every level begin their sprint to the finish line. Beyond the elected offices are thousands of local and state propositions. It can be overwhelming, but it is a historical privilege to have a real say in our future. Please get informed, pray often and vote! Our choices matter and the future “Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682961.post-16548930816072122552012-09-10T08:59:00.000-07:002012-09-10T08:59:00.990-07:00Time to Grow UpNow that the conventions are done and we are finally in the election homestretch, it is time for serious evaluation of the issues. To clear our minds, the following cliches are NOT allowed to obscure the important issues:
"There are two sides to every issue." Yes, but that does not mean two equally solid or valid positions. Sometimes there is a right or wrong stance, or at least a better&“Messenger to the Thoughtful"http://www.blogger.com/profile/00967173267657367130noreply@blogger.com0